Sanguine
by MalenaV
Summary: Like water, their memories kept them alive. Like blood, their memories gave them life.
1. Rupture

_Standard disclaimer applied._

* * *

The rain shot down at the earth with conviction, penetrating the ground before it had a chance to soften for impact. Sakura pulled up her cloak around her chin and tried her best to ignore the headache that was pounding at her.

Kakashi had stopped moving and the rest of the team followed, taking the opportunity to seek shelter beneath a leafy tree and pull on the necks of their cloaks in a desperate attempt to breathe normally once more; the offending cloaks had become so rain soaked that they did them nothing but weigh them down and suffocate them. Naruto tore his off in a tantrum, raising a fist to the sky, cursing and shouting only to have a peel of thunder interrupt him as he did.

Sakura kneeled beside Sai, resting on the firm ground beneath her. She scooted closer to him, hoping he would offer her a bit of warmth but the cloak prevented that. With a frustration akin to Naruto's, Sakura fumbled with the clasp and let the offending garment pool around her with a squelch. She was still cold, but the air turned out to be more humid than she expected but did not stop her from shivering. Sakura closed her eyes and leaned on Sai, not expecting him to let her do so in the first place, but he did anyway.

Sakura woke up to Yamato nudging her gently. She jolted awake with an alarm that could only come from realizing that she'd overslept or, for that matter, fallen asleep in the first place. Sakura looked up to see that the gray sky had darkened but calmed. The occasional water pelt falling from the tree leaves indicated that the rain had only just stopped. Sakura leaned her head back against the dark bark of the tree and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the moist air in an attempt to wash away the grogginess that threatened her eyes.

Sakura stood, brushing off the caked mud on the back of her skirt, noting that it was, for whatever reason, damp. Sakura looked down to see that, unlike the rest of her team, her cloak remained soaked; she could see her reflection in a pool of water that had formed in between the folds. Everyone remained silent as Sakura threw her head back and let out a groan of frustration. She picked the offending article of clothing off the ground and shook it violently, water spraying in all directions as she did. It billowed loudly as she threw it over her shoulders and fastened it. And then, they were off.

The sky began to rumble once more and each jump off a tree limb brought them closer to the eye of the storm. Everyone moved as they should with only their cloaks rustling in the wind. But Sakura's cloak was heavy and slapped violently whenever the wind got the best of it, resembling the thunder that would soon arrive. Each wet clap brought Sakura down bit by bit until her teammates were jumping much higher than she remembered. The prophesized thundered had finally arrived as the quick flash of lightning blinded the world with white for a moment. Sakura felt relieved as the stormy skies finally favored her disguise as they approached Amegakure.

"We'll split up from here."

Sakura's ears perked at the familiar drawl of Kakashi and stopped on the nearest branch. Her cloak brought her down faster.

"Naruto, you go with Yamato, Sai with Sakura. I'll be with Pakkun."

Sakura leaned against the trunk of the tree and look and Sai. They were always partnered together and, generally, it did not bother Sakura. What bothered her was the fact that she did not know if it bothered Sai at all. She stared and stared until her gaze went past his papery face and focused on the hazy outline of their intended destination. She half-listened as Kakashi continued.

"Do not engage anyone you come across; we have to stay as amiable as possible. The country is still war-torn and volatile and our presence should not do anything to escalate their current state."

It was their last mission. Not together, but to Sakura it might as well be. She knew it was weak of her to have that mindset, but she could not help it. Everyone had their exceptions and right now, Team 7 was in pursuit of it.

Everyone was silent. Sakura didn't bother looking up because she could feel their stares; they were almost as heavy as the cloak around her shoulders.

"We meet back here before dark. Don't do anything stupid." Kakashi looked at Sakura before turning to Naruto.

Then they were off.

It began to rain not long after and Sakura's cloak weighed her down with a renewed vengeance. Her back ached and she fought the urge to stop and nurse it. But her thoughts of the future kept her moving.

Being partnered with Sai as often as she was had its perks. He never really said anything because there was nothing _to_ be said in the first place. He never berated her with remarks of the past or offered her a vision of the future sans a certain someone. He'd offer a few suggestions here and there, but after a few disasters Sakura decided that it was best for everyone if Sai kept his opinions regarding human emotions to himself. He agreed with his silence.

It was not long before they reached a clearing and began to run across a vast expanse of rippling water. The plip-plop of their feet and the sky echoed in Sakura's mind. The sun began to move behind the clouds and Sakura and Sai found themselves chasing after the remnants of light in the horizon. The rain had not alleviated in the slightest and the air grew chilly in the growing absence of the sun. Soon, the cold, gray water was illuminated. The sun poked its head out of the clouds, as though it was waving a final good bye as it took with it dreams that had been nursed for five years already. Sakura's pace quickened effortlessly; she was chasing after her heart now.

It seemed to go on forever, the water. A quick glance in either direction had Sakura feeling lost, as though any direction had a chance of being right or wrong. But they continued forward, west, towards the sun. Running after time as it so effortlessly ran from them. Sakura's steps grew to be almost as heavy as her cloak; her breath was soon to follow. The sky behind them began to blend blues, blacks, and purples, pulling them back towards it like a temptress. The sun was a mere speck in the distance, a small bit of glowing red that shrank with every breath, every heartbeat. The rain refused to stop and Sakura felt no different.

No force in the world could have prepared her for when the sun finally broke free of her grasping fingers. She stopped just as that was happening and let the rain beat down on her. Sai stopped a few feet ahead of her and looked back in question. But Sakura looked past him to the fading red and the blue and purple clouds threatening to engulf it. Sai turned to follow her gaze and he saw it too; the black silhouette.

Sakura walked forward, her cloak heavier than ever before. Each step pushed the light behind him further and further. She kept walking until she could see him in full. The sun had disappeared behind the vast expanse of rippling water. The hour of twilight quickly began to fade and the world grew darker and darker each passing moment.

She saw him and only him. She stood there, unmoving, letting only her eyes wander over him. He looked as though he were waiting for someone, something. He looked at her with eyes that glowed like the sun that had just left them. He did not make to run away or towards her. His hands were limp at his sides. He lowered his gaze slightly and started walking towards her. Sai remained in the background, observing.

The rain made his shirt cling to him like a memory; it moved with him, almost as though they did not affect him at all. The rain made Sakura's cloak heavy, the memories seeping into her skin, weighing her down until she could not move.

She licked her perplexingly dry lips and tried to speak.

"Sakura," he said first.

And the world ruptured around Sakura. A flash of lightning broke through the clouds and chased after the sun in the distance, lighting up the world for a moment.

"Sasuke," she said at last.

The wind began to howl again and pushed Sakura's cloak behind her. It began to whip and crack like thunder again. The water beneath her feet pushed her back, forward, as though it were as confused by the memories as she was.

The rain refused to stop.

* * *

_**A/N:** I am so behind with everything! I swear, when I have time, I shall get everything done._

_Thank you to all who added my other two pieces of work to your favorites/alert. Even more thanks to those who reviewed/gave feedback. I said I wanted to write a multichapter fic one day and here it is! Big thank you to those who helped._

_I, uhhh, don't know when the next update will be._

_Please, review! I'm curious to see whether or not you're curious.  
_


	2. Submerge

_**A/N:** I...hope you don't hate Kakashi. I sure don't.

* * *

_

The light from the window drifted past Tsunade and shadows played at Kakashi's feet. He moved them and pulled slightly at his color, feeling uncharacteristically perturbed.

"And where is she now?" Tsunade asked as she fought back wrinkles.

"At home on bed rest as you recommended." Kakashi answered as he tried his best to keep his eyes focused.

An audible grunt of understanding resonated throughout the room and Kakashi's posture slackened. Shizune remained rigid as the late afternoon sun beat down on her back.

"And Naruto?"

"We couldn't trust him on his own so he's in the hospital recuperating, though he hasn't been too silent about it."

"And how about you? Yamato? Sai, even?"

"Yamato is fine and so is Sai. As for myself? Well, I do have an immune system of steel—"

"Good, that means you're up for a mission—"

"But I'm afraid it's gotten rather rusty."

Tsunade folded her hands together and rested her chin on them.

"I can't believe it," she began.

Tonton suppressed a squeal of discomfort and fidgeted slightly in Shizune's grasp.

"Team 7 has been grounded by the common cold."

In the distance, the words 'believe it' were uttered.

"Well, there is no cure for it yet and it was rather wet there."

Tsunade pursed her lips; Kakashi felt his lungs squeeze and his breath came short.

"I think I'm up for a little rest myself, if you don't mind, Hokage-Sama."

"Fine, go."

She leaned back and swiveled her chair around. She chased the sun with her eyes.

"Go check in on your students; make sure they're still alive."

A soft click ended the conversation. A smile fought its way to Tsunade's lips. Tonton just squealed.

* * *

Sakura woke to a purple-hued sky. She wiped the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead off with her hand and proceeded to nurse the ache that had settled in her neck. She stretched and cracked audibly.

There was a knock at her door that brought her out of the humid confine of her bedroom. Sakura was met with a blast of cool air that calmed her fevered body for a moment before sending it into a frenzy of convulsive shivers. Wriggling her toes in the fine hairs of the carpet, she moved down the hallway, making sure to adjust the thermostat before she ventured down the stairs.

Each step down was heavy and echoed throughout the house, announcing her impending arrival. The muffled hustle and bustle on the ground floor ceased in anticipation. The last thump was the loudest and marked the end of Sakura's trek with a wordless finality. She stood before her mother who was busy pouring two cups of tea and her former teacher.

Her mother turned her head and smiled, crow's feet framing her eyes as they responded as well.

"Sakura, you're feeling better it seems?"

Sakura nodded mutely, fond memories of her childhood flooded from her mind into her lungs, robbing her of her breath and threatening to drown her.

"You're sensei decided to come and visit; to see if you're alright. Isn't that nice of him?"

Sakura choked on her words but no one noticed. Her fevered skin prickled and let loose beads of sweat. Her breath came heavy.

"I'll give you two sometime to talk, catch up."

Mrs. Haruno placed the tea kettle on the kitchen counter and a soft clang followed her action. She exited the kitchen and walked past Sakura to go upstairs. Her hasty movements left a silent wind in their wake and Sakura felt it on her skin; it came like ice and she shivered.

She and Kakashi were alone then, alone and unsure. Sakura's eyes were heavy and threatened to close from her fever and weighty thoughts. Kakashi's lone, visible eyes looked no different than before; he looked tired, of the world even.

He looked down at Sakura. He looked at the small beads of sweat clinging to her skin. He looked at the damp, pink locks sticking to her neck. He looked at her frumpy shirt, nothing how it seemed to be covered in sweat. He looked at her and saw everything. She was his student; his most successful some would argue, but Kakashi felt as though he had failed her the most. He did not know what he was doing here now, lying to her and himself. He couldn't make up for it all now. He was too late. He was always too late.

"Would you like to sit down?" Sakura's raspy voice interjected the silence at last.

Kakashi took a deep breath and sighed, "I don't plan on staying long."

But he walked towards the living room anyway, knowing that, for him, nothing ever went as planned.

Sakura followed him, feet shuffling against the rugged floor. She did it to wipe away the perspiration that had gathered under them, only to have the moist feeling return a step later. She shivered and sighed and sat down on the sofa seven feet from the silently seated Kakashi. She looked down at the empty spot next to her, eyes wandering over the little wrinkles that had set in from constant use. Her mind followed her eyes for a moment before she looked up at Kakashi who had been looking at her. Their eyes met somewhere in the space between them. The silence steadily grew awkward.

Kakashi fidgeted in his chair, not sure what to do with his legs which seemed too big for his own comfort. They were sprawled before him in a useless heap; his knees were slightly bent. He looked over the rumpled blue fabric into Sakura's green eyes and found it in himself to speak at last, only to have Sakura beat him to it.

"How are you feeling?" She decided to throw in useless conversation fodder. A few muscles in Kakashi's face twitched.

"Fine. A little rain doesn't affect me so much. I'm not quite that old yet."

Suddenly, Sakura felt old and Kakashi could see it in the way her eyes practically disappeared behind two folds of skin.

"I didn't tell her everything." He tried to open them back up again.

Sakura's posture straightened and her eyes flew out for a split second, blinding the world in a sea of green before rescinding back.

"Because I don't know everything myself." Kakashi looked hopeful, but only saw Sakura ages steadily.

"Sai didn't tell you?" She sounded surprised.

"Sai didn't tell me." He was surprised.

Kakashi's voice echoed through the room and died out in the corners farthest from them.

"He was there,"

Kakashi sat back and tried his best to do the same with his legs.

"Nothing happened. At least, nothing I remember clearly." Sakura felt a chill seep into her skin and freeze her bones. She leaned into the cushioned back of the sofa and sought its comfort, finding a way to continue; finding words, finding truth.

"It was just before dark. We were ready to head back. Sai wanted to, I knew. But I couldn't turn around." She hiccupped, emotions and memories welling up in her throat, words compressing but the emotion growing until it came out all at once.

"And then we saw him."

The clock on the wall seemed to grow louder and louder until it reached the numeral twelve. It was then that the clock echoed throughout the house, signaling the time. Sakura's mother walked in then and noticed the table lacked cups of tea and exited to alleviate the problem. The clock died down and Mrs. Haruno placed two cups of steaming green tea on the table before walking away, the tension pushing her out.

It was seven o'clock and considerably dark.

Kakashi leaned forward as if to speak, but paused and chose instead to bend down and retrieve his tea. It burned his hand and he blew across the top, but that did nothing to soothe the ache.

"You won't tell Tsunade-Sama, will you?"

"Why the hell not?" A bit of his tea spilled over the edge, burning his lap.

Sakura looked at Kakashi across the table, seeing the steam rising slowly from her cup, engulfing his image.

"You know that it's actually _good_ that you made contact. And none of you were hurt…right?"

Sakura said nothing and Kakashi leaned forward with a seriousness that pushed Sakura back into her seat.

"Neither of you were hurt, right?"

"No."

"What happened exactly?"

Sakura contemplated picking up her tea, believing the slightly bitter liquid would soothe her aching throat and wash away the thirst that was gnawing at her. But she thought of the steam that would continue to rise and hit her face, moistening it with unneeded heat. The thought made her clammy and dried her mouth even more. She struggled to speak.

"We saw him. He didn't do anything; it didn't look like he was planning anything, either. He looked like he was waiting." Sakura's voice cracked and she reached for that tea, ignoring the tears mixing with sweat as they rolled down her cheeks and into her shirt.

"I walked towards him," her voice was low, hot, "He didn't move, so I kept walking." Her voice grew in pitch and began to cool; it was airy as she sighed out, "and then I touched his sleeve; it was wet. He didn't move, just stared, as though we were almost strangers." Her vision blurred and the dark outline of Kakashi grew as she fell back into the couch, tea spilling all over her thighs, jolting her awake. Her mouth was open but no sound came from it. Kakashi picked the empty cup off the floor and replaced it on the table with a hollow clang. The carpet was warm and wet and it made his socks the same.

Sakura had fainted, or was about to. Her thighs were stinging almost as violently as her heart had been at the recount. Her neck was cradled by Kakashi's oddly warm and comforting hand; she leaned back like it was a pillow and groaned signaling her semi-conscious state. Kakashi slipped his other arm under Sakura's knees and lifted her up. The skin on her thighs stretched and absorbed more of the hot liquid, causing her to do the same as she cringed in pain.

Kakashi knew what had happened to Sakura: She had fainted. It was simple, anti-climactic. The cold knocked her out in the nick of time; it seemed that was always the case for Sakura.

The trek up to her room was an awkward task for Kakashi. He could have bothered Mrs. Haruno, but he didn't. Instead, he guessed where Sakura's room was and after opening the door to a linen closet, a bathroom, and a guest room, Kakashi finally stumbled into Sakura's bedroom; the familiar portrait on the bed's right side dresser the only giveaway.

He placed her down onto the bed and observed the way she sort of just plopped down, almost ignorant of the current state of her clothing. He contemplated the level of appropriateness—how horrible it would be to change his colleague's soiled clothes; for the sake of her health and well being, he encouraged himself. But the nagging feeling that told him she was too close to be a mere colleague kept his hands at his sides. The fabric around her thighs had absorbed the entirety of the split fluid and clung to her; his thumb twitched.

Kakashi stood there for a while and stared at Sakura lull in and out of consciousness, her fever dripping down her forehead in rivulets of sweat. Her window was open and the January chill crawled into the room. Her thighs had long since rescinded behind the airy confine between her legs and pajama bottoms; the fabric was dry, crisp, and wrinkled. Kakashi leaned back and waited for the telltale pop before reaching down and divesting Sakura of her now non-threatening clothing. The skin on her thighs puckered and Sakura's breath hitched. Kakashi's fear of her being awake made him stop moving and his hands hovered over her knees in consequence. With one blink followed by another, Kakashi continued. He straightened up and looked down to see Sakura: She was shivering.

Kakashi tried to fumble around Sakura's room as silently as possible in search of something clean to wear. Her room seemed impeccably clean, but opening the closet revealed the deception. It was a mess: Various shirts, vests, skirts, and shorts were strewn across the closet floor. Kakashi's eye lingered on the various, undoubtedly unattractive, overly used sports bras that lay atop the mess of (hopefully) clean clothes. His lifted his eye and saw that, next to a set of decidedly nicer lingerie that a seventeen year old had no business owning, let alone wearing, was a pair of crisp, clean, green and blue striped pajamas. He grabbed them and shut the closet behind him as he walked over to the fitfully sleeping Sakura and forced the garment on her. A familial feeling washed over him that made his heart drop. Pulling the covers over Sakura, Kakashi thought of what it would be like to be a father. He thought of what it would feel like to have a wife that loved him and awaited his return from long missions. He thought of what it would feel like to be normal, to have a normal job, a normal life. It would be different for everyone; for him, for Sakura. Naruto, Sai, Sasuke, all of them. It would be different, maybe even better.

Kakashi sat down on the bed, careful not to wake Sakura. Placing his elbows on his knees, he looked down at his feet and remembered to breathe; the air was cold and inviting. He tugged at his mask until it was easy to breathe again. The chilly night air stabbed at his lungs and cleansed his mind. With every clean inhale came an exhale full of filthy memories, worries, and anxieties. Eventually, he breathed them all back in and felt no different than before.

His back was turned to Sakura and hers to him. Kakashi felt as though his heart was beating in slow motion, each contraction and release of the valves and chambers prolonged by a nameless feeling. He could feel it near his spine, the way it seemed to wrap around his lungs and crawl up his throat until it rested on the back of his tongue, threatening to spill out in some sort of word form.

Sakura looked out the window, fully awake. She could feel the weight of Kakashi sitting on the bed near her feet. She remembered the way his hands moved over her bare skin and blinked.

The room was cold and Sakura tried her best to not shiver and curled up slightly to warm herself. Her ear and nose grew cold until she no longer felt them. She relied on her eyes then and looked out the window, past the buildings in the distance, over the trees around the outskirts of the village, above the encompassing mountains towards something unknown.

Sasuke stood on a plateau along the border of the Wind Country, alone. He looked east and felt the growing cold of the desert night. He looked over the rivers in the distance and the trees on the other side; he looked at the hazy, purple mountains behind them towards something unknown.

Their eyes met somewhere in between.

The wind began to hollow and brought his shirt sleeve into his vision. Sasuke looked down at it and thought of the way she had grabbed it as though she were a friend, as though nothing had happened. He had looked at her then, not knowing what to think, let alone say. He saw her fall so suddenly, he couldn't catch her. He saw the boy move in his place.

The wind pushed him forward, but Sasuke resisted. He thought of moving forward, down, around, and in. He thought of it before turning around. He cracked his knuckles and rubbed his wrist as he did, feeling as though there was some sort of uncomfortable weight on them.

Maybe he'd go back. One day. But, for now, he submerged himself in the memories and walked away, hoping they were enough to last him another day.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out. I'm still not sure where I'm taking this, but an idea is growing!_

_Feel free to visit my LJ which I've only recently acquired. I will be updated fics on there first so don't hesitate to friend me! Link is my Homepage._

_So, what did you think? Interested? Intrigued? Review? Please, go right ahead! I'm curious to know what you all think; it really encourages me to write the next chapter which, I hope, will be out sooner and shall be much, much longer._

_Until next time.  
_


	3. Clot

It was an oddly sunny day for late January and the skip in Sakura's step was consequence to it. Her arms were folded behind her and her chin was pointed toward the sun. She was sure she looked like a fool and giggled slightly at the thought. The streets, however, were thankfully empty and no one was there to agree with her.

The soft echo of sandals against cobblestone fell into the background as Sakura focused more on the birds that had risen early like her.

It was seven in the morning and delightfully bright.

Sakura, however, found a downside to being so dreadfully cheery. Everything seemed to satisfy her and yet nothing she could do was really necessary. She could visit Naruto, but she saw him well and alive yesterday (and she was better off not visiting him so early). She could go out and train, but at this point in her life, doing so without a partner brought little results and it was best to wait until the scheduled meeting time. She could go to the Hokage tower early, but that was _really_ unnecessary. So, she settled on walking; it was a perfectly acceptable activity for the time of day.

Her feet led her up the path and over a familiar bridge towards an equally familiar hill. It was there that her steps died down, muffled by the damp soil beneath her feet. She approached the top of the hill, walking along the line of shrubbery, ready to cut across at any moment. When she finally did decide to step over that boundary, she found her nose being smashed into something.

"You're up early," came a deadpanned and all too familiar voice.

"And you were hiding in the bushes?" was Sakura's quick-witted reply.

Sai tried to look what he had read to be defined as bemused but failed and stared at Sakura with as much emotion as his voice held. As an early morning exercise, Sai tried his hand at small talk.

"I see that you are better now."

"I am; much in fact."

"And your illness?"

Sakura moved to speak but paused as what Sai had just said registered. It seemed their favorite emotionally stunted teammate just pulled a fast one on her. Sakura lifted a finger and squinted in speculation before finally admitting the truth.

"You got me,"

Sai smiled—or rather turned the corners of his mouth upward in a similar fashion.

"What brings you out so early, Sakura?"

"Nothing really. I thought it was a nice day for a walk."

"What's the purpose of your walking?"

"To get some fresh air I suppose."

"You suppose? Couldn't you do that by opening a window?"

Sakura stared at him, offering a look that left him feeling even more emotionally illiterate before walking past him in thinly veiled annoyance. Sai, for a moment, thought it was his fault, but then thoughtfully concluded that women were never meant to be understood in the first place. But he looked at Sakura as she was walking away and tried to understand her as best as he could. He tried to understand her silly, meaningless devotion; he tried to understand how she was so willing to get herself hurt. In his attempt to better comprehend humans and the variety of emotions that they came with, Sai had gained a small understanding of his teammates. He knew he was still a replacement and even though Naruto often tried to convince him that he was actually a friend, all he had to do was look at Sakura; she was the final answer. She looked at him with what he identified to be a look that matched one of contempt and he often wondered where that emotion came from. Was it his manner of speech? He had been told on more than one occasion that his voice sounded remarkably like that of an old teammate that they both exceedingly adored. Maybe his general appearance was the issue; the similarities regarding their facial expressions and general features have been mentioned once or twice. Or perhaps it was the fact that he was a replacement for a spot that was never meant to have one. Maybe Sakura felt like they were betraying the one who betrayed them. And so Sakura tried her best to remind Sai that he should not get comfortable; he had no place in their world.

Still, Sai looked at her walk away until the rising sun blinded his vision for a moment. He blinked. Clearing the spots out of his eyes and looked for Sakura again. She was gone. Normally he would think nothing of it, knowing her return was inevitable, but Sai felt something. His blood drained from his face and rushed to his feet, telling him to go after her.

Sai didn't know it, but his body did: He was afraid.

But he turned the other way; he turned his back on her. His thoughts, however, lingered on her and followed her footsteps.

Sakura was oblivious to this fear and her oblivious nature led her to a small clearing within the vast expanse of trees around training ground three. Her motivation fell away from her quickly and she decided to end her walking by sitting on the nearest stump. And she sat there for hours, unaware of the sun moving above her until it was directly so. It was at that point in which Naruto made an entrance fit for the hero he was, blocking the sun so as to cast a shadow of his form over the day dreaming and nearly burnt Sakura. She was glad to see him but weary of his shadow.

"How long have you been here, Sakura-Chan?"

"A while."

Naruto moved to speak, raising his hands in question, hoping to inquire how long that while was, but gave up and moved to the side to let the high noon sun blind Sakura once more. He took a seat next to her on a tuft of grass and pulled at the blades. He stared at his fist for a moment, noting how the moist dirt stained his hand before letting the gentle breeze carry the grass away. He thought of Sakura and then he thought of himself and laid his head to rest against her leg and she ignored the tickling sensation they brought. They stayed that way for a while—a long while; long enough for the sun to fall behind the trees and cast leafy shadows over the two now sleeping figures. It was at that point in which Kakashi showed up. Too lazy to bend down and shake them awake, Kakashi's foot collided with Naruto's shin. The resulting yelp jolted the two out of their afternoon slumber.

"Waiting impatiently for my arrival I see."

"That's brilliant. Just freaking brilliant, Kakashi-sensei. What the—my shin!"

Naruto proceeded to kneel and nurse his quickly bruising shin, cursing Kakashi to hell as he did. Sakura laughed uneasily at the familiarity of the scene, the only differences being the weather and the absence of two individuals.

"It's a bit late for practice, Kakashi-sensei. We missed lunched and I wouldn't want to add dinner to that list on your account." Sakura quipped as she brushed the dust off her skirt.

"Oh no, not at all I suppose. Best for you two to go home."

Looking up from his leg, Naruto yelled, "Then why the hell did you show up in the first place?"

"More importantly, where have you been?"

"While rowing across the river, I got lost in the fog. Very lost."

A pregnant pause fell over the two obviously awestruck teammates as they tried to comprehend the ridiculousness of the excuse.

"There was no fog this morning—at all even." Sakura finally answered.

"Yeah, and more importantly…since when did you _row_?"

"I started very early and, as I said, got very lost. And rowing is wonderful exercise; does wonders for my biceps. Want to feel?"

And at that, Kakashi offered his arm to Naruto, his lone eye suggesting that it was a friendly joke but failing to stop Naruto from yelling and hollering about his firm heterosexual nature. Sakura almost laughed as Naruto stomped away.

"Seriously Sakura, you can go home. And I don't mean go to the Hokage Tower or the hospital and then home, but home."

Sakura giggled, "Alright,"

Kakashi watched her walk away and felt a rush of blood in his feet. He was afraid and knew it and he hoped Sakura's idea of home was the same as his.

Sakura stood in front of the gates, the sunset fast approaching. She, for a moment, thought of a plan that would entail a great deal of packing. She, the next, walked away from the gates and her escape toward her little house around the corner.

Her mother was there to greet her upon entry and her father passed out on the couch, the tea stain from last week barely noticeable. Mrs. Haruno always worked so very hard to clean up messes that weren't hers to begin with. Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and bit back the tears that stung her eyes and tickled her nose.

She trekked up her bedroom and slammed the door behind her without much thought. She walked over to her closet and took note of its state of disarray, resolving to amend that before it would be just another mess left to clean up for her mother. She reached for the only organized shelf in the closet for her pajamas and saw the sort of clothing they were folded up next to. Her thoughts went to her teacher and lingered for a moment after she shut the door.

Crawling into bed, Sakura cuddled up next to a pillow and looked out the window. It was rather early to be dozing off and especially bad for her to ignore her dental hygiene, but it was incredibly dark, practically negating the atmosphere she had awoken to twelve hours before. The stars weren't out yet but Sakura decided that it was best not to wait for them. She had grown tired of waiting.

There were no stars to greet Sakura when she woke up, but the dark was there. She lingered in bed for a while, thinking of how tired she was and how much better it would be for her to just stay cuddled between her warm sheets. She thought of her mother and father; Kakashi, Yamato, Naruto, Sai, and sometimes Ino, even. She thought of Tsunade asleep at her desk and Shizune trying to wake her up. The remembrances were heavy and her eyes almost lost the battle when a lone, lingering thought had her bolt up and reach for her empty pack. She changed into a fresh uniform, her green and blue striped pajamas cast aside near her feet. As she was slipping into her sandals, Sakura looked at the garment and remembered another small thing. So, she picked it up and walked over to her closet. She folded the pajamas pants slowly, making sure that the folds and creases were even and straight. She placed them back on their shelf and thought about tidying up the rest of the closet, but concluded that it would only upset her mother more. Everything in the closet, the shelf in particular, seemed so much darker than she recalled. The night sky offered none of its blue light to illuminate the clothes inside. Thoughts about hiding inside it and never coming out threatened Sakura's resolve, but she resisted. Again, her gaze lingered on the pajamas and the articles of clothing next to it. Again, her thoughts fled to a man who referred to himself as a teacher but was never bothered to teach her anything. Again, those thoughts lingered for a moment as she shut the door.

And then she went out the window.

It was a cold night like any other in midwinter. But it was quiet, no evidence in the air about anybody being awake. No stray animal in the alleyways, no late night, early morning wanderers. It was just Sakura and she thought that no one saw her leaving.

But there was a teacher who never bothered teaching her, a substitute who was no better, a teammate she refused to acknowledge, and a friend whose light was so brilliant it casted a shadow over her.

But she walked past the gates unnoticed, unconsidered. It was easy and she felt the blood rushing through her veins and arteries with every contraction and relaxation of her heart. It gathered in her head, making her feet grow cold like the night and she almost stopped. But she moved forward and moved freely in to the trees and past the valley until everything she saw was blue and black. Like her bedroom.

And as she turned her back on the village for the first and final time, Sakura felt the weight of everyone who had kept her in place. She thought of the never-bothered teacher and substitute, the teammate that pained her, and the friend whom she almost loved. They were memories that had gotten caught in the flow of her exit, clotting her path with the past. One step forward, and then another. And with that, the clot dissolved and came flooding at her.

She cried.


	4. Flood

**A/N:** _Inception has sort of taken over my mind as of late and my priorities are all jumbled up. But here is an update! And if you're a Cobb/Ariadne supporter like me, then let's be friends! ;D

* * *

_

The warmth the sun provided was pleasant and turned Sakura's vision red behind her closed lids. She smiled a bit as she tried to rest and not sleep. Birds were chirping their early morning song, urging her legs to become restless, but Sakura's torso refused and she simply turned her head away from the comforting blanket of light. Her vision grew dark and her cheek warm. She lifted her hand from her waist and brushed her fingers across her cheek and shivered. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the moist mid-winter buds shake gently in the wind. The sight prompted a shiver in herself and she at last gave into the urging of her legs and sat up. It was then the sun decided to disappear behind the clouds that had appeared in the sky while Sakura was not looking and immediately shrouded the world in a blue-gray morning haze. Sakura frowned at the loss of fantasy.

She stood then and gave the wildflower a final look. Soon in would be spring and the flower would look completely different, the world would be completely different. The flower would be open and accepting of the world and its offerings of sunshine and companionship. It would share and smell sweet and make girls smile. Families would name their daughters after that flower. But how long was its bloom? What if all its glory would not come to fruition? What if it was plucked before it was ready? Trampled? What if it was not a flower at all? What if it was a weed? It would stand there and fool the world into believing that it belonged with all the other pretty flowers in the field when in reality, it was destroying its neighbors from the inside out and like a plague, it would destroy every single one of those flowers until it was all alone. Next spring, there would be nothing but white. Or it would be alone?

Sakura brushed the idea aside and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and thought of summer. The ground was soft beneath her feet and her toes were cold. It had only been a few hours since her departure and, truth be told, she had not made much head way and her spirits were low. The idea of turning back and acting as thought nothing was wrong crossed her mind more than once during her walk. For this reason, she felt unhurried, truly believing that the part of her wanting to give up would prevail and it was best to not make the journey back longer than it needed to be. But the possibility that, by now, someone had noticed her absence was just a tiny bit likely. Admittedly not high, but not low enough to completely disregard. If such was the case, then it was best to go back than to wait and get captured. It would be a while, of course, before any search party would go out after her. She had until lunch at least. She wouldn't be able to hold anyone off in a fight easily…

Sakura started to run at last, shaking her head in hope of ridding herself of all negative thoughts. Bravado crept its way to her exterior and she ran with full conviction through the trees and over the waters until she stood at the border between three countries. The air was heavy with the smell of rain, carrying the scent of grass with it.

Standing still for a moment, Sakura regarded her options. She could turn around and return to her home country to the awaiting scolding of her friends and family. She could head west into the country where he was last seen or north where he might have gone. All the false confidence began to fade, leaving her cold and shivering in the approaching storm. The clouds in the distance loomed over both countries, refusing to aid her in a decision. With closed eyes, she inhaled and held onto it, refusing to exhale until she had an answer for herself. A flurry of self-encouraging thoughts rushed through her head, urging her on, telling her that it was like ripping off a band aid and was best done quickly.

So she exhaled and stepped forward, pumping chakra into her feet as the ground began to swallow her whole.

* * *

The morning hours ticked by without interruptions in the Haruno household. Mr. Haruno believed it to have been the best night's sleep of his life, but the Mrs. knew otherwise and figured Sakura had decided to spend the morning in and spare her parents of her normal hustle and bustling about downstairs, clamoring to complete her morning ritual that consisted of tea and peaches.

Neither of the two moved until well passed the lunch hour and lamented on the weariness of their bones as they finally sat up. Feeling rather shameful, Mrs. Haruno waddled over to the shower to begin her day. Her husband decided another fifteen minutes would do his tired bones a great deal of good.

Within the comfort of a robe, Mrs. Haruno exited her room and decided to check up on Sakura, wondering if she had woken up yet. She stuck her head in and found nothing really amiss. The bed seemed hastily made, as though Sakura had just thrown the comforter back into position or had chosen to sleep on top of it. The floor was covered with bits and pieces of this and that and her closet door slightly ajar. Hoping that her beloved daughter had finally decided to tidy her closet at last, Mrs. Haruno tip-toed into the room to see if she was right. The truth resulted in her dismay, seeing that Sakura had done no such thing. However, a single shelf caught her eye. It was completely folded and neat which was flabbergasting enough, but what Mrs. Haruno found most alarming were the contents of said shelf; more specifically the underwear—or rather, lingerie.

The realization came at her with an iron fist, gutting her and leaving her breathless for a moment. Memories of her own adolescence came flooding into her thoughts and Mrs. Haruno tried to deny that she was different.

Her daughter—Sakura Haruno was a woman.

Tears welled in her eyes at the thought. Seventeen seemed a bit young, but Mrs. Haruno had denied the reality long enough already: The moment she turn her back on Sakura at the academy was the day she stopped being her little girl. She belonged to the village now.

With steps hindered by waves of nostalgia, Mrs. Haruno stumbled out of her daughter's room and shuffled downstairs in a daze. Her husband was sitting at the kitchen table, presumably waiting for lunch. She didn't think to look for Sakura, for the need to suddenly vanished. The harsh pitter-patter of rain outside was heard and softer drip-drop came from the soaked newspaper Mr. Haruno was reading. Shaking herself free of self-pity, Mrs. Haruno got to making tea.

"Dear," she began in the midst of searching for the strainer and tea leaves.

"Hrm?" he replied to assure his wife that, not only was he reading, but listening to her as well.

"Do you know if Sakura's been…seeing someone?"

"Someone?" he asked, somewhat alarmed.

"A boy."

"A boy? No…none that I know of."

"Are you sure? She's getting at that age, you know."

"Yeah, well she's hardly given herself the time really. Last boy she was interested was that Uchiha fellow and," there was a customary pause, "she was just gaga over him. But there hasn't been anyone since, I don't think. Almost as if she's been put off the subject for good." Mr. Haruno ended the sentence abruptly, catching himself in though. Maybe she was interested in girls now.

Mrs. Haruno insisted as she sat down at the table to face a damp newspaper. Nursing a cup of tea, she continued, "I find that hard to believe, I mean, I'm sure that she's had a few visitors."

"Other than Naruto? Nope."

"Her teacher visited just last week, though."

Mr. Haruno put down the newspaper slowly and peered over it, offering his best "…That's not funny," look.

"Don't be too put off the idea. Older is not bad. You're older than me."

"Yeah, but we at least went to the same school together at some point."

"That's one way to look at it, but by the time you were interested in girls, I was busy getting my cootie shots."

"But that's not the point, it—…what was the point, again?"

Sighing, Mrs. Haruno took a sip of her drink and immediately regretted it. She took her scalded tongue as somewhat of a warning but spoke anyway.

"I found something in Sakura's room."

A pregnant pause.

"Don't tell me," alarmed by his thoughts, Mr. Haruno leaned in towards his wife and whispered gravely, "is it birth control?"

"Wha—how…—no!"

"Oh!" he leaned back in his chair and placed a hand on his stomach to sooth the ulcer that threatened to tear apart his insides. "Thank _God_."

"But she might as well be."

"Oh—what the hell is it then?"

"Underwear."

"Underwear?"

"Underwear."

"What the hell—how is that a problem? That's better than her not having any underwear—we'd have to be worried then; our daughter going commando in a profession dominated by men. No. This is good news; underwear." Mr. Haruno continued grumbling, assuring himself that his daughter was not the town—or her team's—mistress.

"Not just any underwear—it was," it was Mrs. Haruno's turn to lean in and whisper gravely, "lingerie."

"You mean that fancy stuff?"

"Yes. The fancy stuff."

Grimacing, Mr. Haruno thought to himself for a moment and scratched his chin in hopes that it would aid him in the process.

"What does that mean?"

"It means she…wants boys coming around more often."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, it's not like I was never a teenage girl or anything."

"Right."

"The point is that- she wouldn't spend so much on anything if she wouldn't want to _show_ it to someone."

"If she wants to show it off, then we have no worries about her taking it off then."

Silence fell between the two, one looking pleasantly smug and the other looking rather appalled. Trying to stay calm, Mrs. Haruno took a deep breath and counted to ten before exhaling.

"What I'm trying to say is…we should have a talk with Sakura."

"But…I thought you already covered that."

"No, not that one."

"Oh…well, good luck with that."

"I'm serious. You'll need to be there too. It's time we okayed the whole boy thing."

"But that really didn't stop her last time and besides, it's not like anyone is interested right now."

"Don't be so dim; Sakura's is not an ugly girl and it's about time we accept that."

For the first time, Mr. Haruno acted serious, "Alright, I suppose."

"Alright? Alright. We'll wait for Sakura to get home then. I'll make a quick run to the market for dinner so we can have a proper family meal as we make our daughter incredibly uncomfortable."

"Ah, sounds great."

And with that, Mrs. Haruno grabbed her coat and headed for the door. As she was putting on her shoes, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Standing up, Mrs. Haruno walked over to the bucket with all the umbrellas and saw Sakura's pale pink umbrella amidst the vast array of darker colors. Something inside her sank, knowing it was unlike Sakura to leave anything of necessity behind. She shook the thought away and grabbed her own umbrella and stepped out the door, focusing her attention on dinner and the meal plan.

* * *

Grass was eerily quiet. Every little sound had Sakura turning around, startled and fully alert. Being that the entire landscape was made of grass, even the wind had her jumping. Every time a blade of grass scraped against the bit of skin just above her boots, her heart would sink, afraid of who or what just touched her.

Actual sightings of any actual human were few and far between. It wasn't until late afternoon and halfway across the country did Sakura realize that it would be wise to remove her headband; as if the pink hair and flaming red outfit didn't reveal her enough as an eyesore.

The sky didn't clear until evening which was when Sakura decided to stop and eat. She hadn't bothered to stop for lunch since, shortly after bolting across the border, she walked practically the entire way. She knew that her situation was cause for a good deal of running, but there was no will in it. She tried, but found no motivation in doing so. She wondered, for a moment, if she really did want to go find Sasuke herself. It wasn't too long ago that she admitted to herself that she didn't have the sort of power to bring him back and it was quite clear he didn't want her around. However, all those things did not stop her from packing her things and hopping out her window.

Perhaps there was no motivation to run because there really was no reason to. Running would imply fear and fear would imply guilt and that guilt would imply what she had done was wrong. No, Sakura saw nothing wrong with anything and saw it perfectly fit to walk as fast as she liked and sit and eat whenever as well.

Unfortunately, a post midnight raid of her kitchen would not have blown over too well in her house; day or night, Sakura could never navigate through the kitchen without making a ruckus and her parents would have woken up believing it to be time for breakfast if she so much as tried. So, Sakura's backpack was filled with the essential staples of a teenager and a ninja: ramen, potato chips, and food pills. Ramen was out of the question; despite the copious amount of water afoot, Sakura had not seen it fit to bring along some sort of device that would aid her in heating it. Food pills were best kept for later and so she settled on opening one of the many bags of chips. The bag opened with a crinkly puff and filled her nostrils with the scent of powdered barbeque sauce; not her favorite flavor, but beggars can't be choosers. To her dismay, it turned out that a majority of the bag was air. Sighing, Sakura munching on the handful of fried carbohydrates fate had bestowed upon her.

She wondered, then, if anyone had figured it out; she wondered if anyone knew she had gone. And then, just for the familiar comfort of home, Sakura thought about what she would normally think about at that moment in time: She wondered what her mother had planned for dinner.

* * *

"I see three; where's Sakura?"

"She's not with you?"

"No, Naruto, she's obviously not with me."

"Oh,"

"We don't know where she is, Hokage-Sama."

"I figured that out, thank you Sai."

"My pleasure, Hokage-Sama."

Grimacing slightly, Tsunade set her eyes on Kakashi, offering a look that demanded an answer.

"So, you don't know where your student is."

"Ah, quite frankly, we thought she was with you doing paperwork or whatever it is you do. Or don't do for that matter."

"Don't get cheeky with me."

"I wasn't."

"Well, at least answer my question."

"As I was saying, we figured she was either with you because she normally works here on Thursdays, or she decided to play hooky."

"That doesn't sound like Sakura."

"To be honest, I'd have a hard time believing her to be my student if she did not do that once in a while."

"Mm, well, I suppose a day off will do her some good. As for the rest of you who chose to get out of bed today, get out of my sight and do something good for the village. Help an old lady or offer your umbrella to some poor soul who forgot theirs. You know, the general stuff."

"But that's genin work!"

"And you are a genin, Naruto."

"Besides, as much as we need the money, it's not safe to send you out into a storm without a medic. So, stay in the village and out of trouble."

And the three boys walked out of the Hokage's office, Naruto audibly sulking as he went. Sighing, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve the pressure that had built up there. Sakura had the right idea and Tsunade wished, for a moment, she had the gall to do the same. She then wondered where Sakura had decided to spend on her impromptu day off.

* * *

With dinner being not as satisfying as she'd have liked it to have been, Sakura set out in search of some sort of shelter before nightfall; she was wary of the grass in the day and would probably lose her mind at night if she were to continue her journey.

Night fell quickly, giving her just enough time to set up camp in a nook within a rock formation that was not so conveniently located next to a bubbling brook. It made the night extra frigid, moistening the air and freezing Sakura's ears and cheeks. The upside, however, was the pleasant sound it creating, lulling Sakura into a blissful dream state.

Sakura was never one to dream erratically or suffer from nightmares. Even as a child, she was generally free of them. Dreams, for her, were never more than unsettling and she had always gotten through them without the aid of her mother, father, or their bed. However, on that particular night out in the middle of a foreign country during a chilly night spent on frozen ground, Sakura had a dream that went just a little beyond unsettling.

When she woke up, however, she couldn't really mull over it and tell herself it was all a dream. She had woken up in the middle of the night and it was pouring rain and Sakura lay in her little nook half-traumatized, shivering, and borderline drenched. Dazedly, she crawled out of the hole and looked around to see nothing. Sakura fumbled her way out of her uselessly soaked sleeping bag and packed up hurriedly before running off in no particular direction, hoping to find some sort of light or beacon to guide her into the warm hands of a stranger who happened to be a Good Samaritan.

But all she could think about was the rush of cool water against her dream-heated skin and how much this reality felt like her nightmare. Each leap forward made her heart skip beats and her breath quicken as though she was actually drowning.

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of Ichiraku, waiting for Naruto and Sai to finish their meals. The rain had let up just long enough for Konoha to enjoy the last glimmers of sunshine before dark. But the dark gray clouds looming in the distance seemed to suggest otherwise. Kakashi ran his thumb over the handle of his still soaked umbrella and called after Naruto and Sai, insisting that they hurry up.

A few moments passed and Sai emerged , Naruto begrudgingly following.

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Hm, Naruto?"

"Sakura seems to have the right idea; I think we should all go home for the day."

"We'll do that Naruto, but first, we have to make a short stop somewhere."

"Eh? Couldn't you do that without me—or Sai?"

"Well, I was hoping you would be the one to talk instead of me."

"Why not Sai?"

"I'm afraid he doesn't know these people too well…and, quite frankly, neither do I."

Sai raised his head and looked up at Kakashi, making his interest obvious.

"I would not mind speaking on behalf of this team; I believe this is a good opportunity to hone my social skills by making a good impression on these people. Who, may I ask, are the targets?"

Kakashi looked down at Sai and contemplated the correct way to respond, not sure if he had the ability to be frank enough with Sai to get his originally intended point across.

"Mr. and Mrs. Haruno," he finally answered.

"He—what? You mean Sakura's parents?" Naruto sounded genuinely perplexed.

"No, her brother and his wife."

"Sakura has a brother?"

"I've been rather curious about Sakura for a while now." Kakashi tried not to sound worried.

"And you're going to ask her parents if they've noticed anything?" Sai tried not to sound like he knew already.

"Wait…what's wrong with Sakura?" Naruto did nothing to hide his confusion.

"Naruto, I—I need you to go get Yamato."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in rising suspicion.

"Kakashi-sen—"

"Just go, Naruto."

Thankfully enough, Naruto didn't seem to want to put up and argument and ran off like the dutiful errand boy he was never meant to be,

"Sai, I think it can go without being said."

"I think it was early this morning."

"I do as well; I just don't understand why no one noticed."

"She might have snuck through, maybe jumped over the eastern wall—it's never really been that secure."

"No, she wouldn't do something like that. And besides, nothing is more conspicuous than someone trying to go unnoticed. My guess is she went out the front door—no one would have thought anything of it."

"But her parents—surely they must have heard something."

"I think she used a window that time."

Silence fell between the two as they began the short trek to Sakura's street. The rain clouds caught up to them and the soft pitter-patter of a fresh drizzle accompanied their heavy steps and grew to be a steady drumbeat that led the two to the Haruno's walkway.

"Sai."

"Yes?"

"Don't say anything."

Sai complied without another word.

* * *

Sakura did not know how long she had been running, but her legs told her it had been hours. However, Sakura figured that with her luck, it had probably been only a half hour. But she fought the aches and pains of her tiring body, hoping to keep the impending fever at bay just long enough to find some sort of dry shelter with a crackling fire waiting for her to warm up next to. The thought alone had her running faster.

Every few seconds, her fever would seem to spike a few degrees, forcing rivulets of sweat down her soaked skin, only to be chilled instantly by the howling and freezing rain that came at her skin like daggers so swift and fine that they did nothing but prick Sakura's skin.

In the distance, Sakura saw a flickering light. It seemed to hover in the sky as though it was a part of it. But heaving forward as she was, Sakura could see the distinct orange glow that gave her hope; it was a fire.

Sakura ran towards it, hoping she had not been running blindly back to Konoha, or worse.

* * *

The rain had picked up again and came down like bullets, deafening Kakashi's ears. He knocked on the door in front of him, hoping there was someone inside who could hear it.

A moment passed, followed by another. Kakashi resisted the urge to turn around and call it a day and was just about to give in when the door finally opened to reveal Mrs. Haruno.

"Good evening, Mrs. Haruno."

"Kakashi-san…what brings you here?"

"Well, I was hoping that I could speak with Sakura for a moment."

Mrs. Haruno offered a knowing smile and looked back over her shoulder at her husband who stood looming in the hallway.

"I'm afraid Sakura is not here at the moment; we thought she was with you—the team, that is."

"Well, Sakura didn't show up today, Mrs. Haruno. I was just checking to see if she was still ill or anything."

"No, no, she seemed perfectly fine last night. Went to bed a little early, but I can see why she needed to. She's been pretty exhausted lately, especially after that last mission."

"Do you know when she got up this morning, Mrs. Haruno?"

"Uhm…no, actually. Normally, she is really quite loud in the morning and my husband and I wake up shortly after she does, but we didn't hear her at all this morning."

Mrs. Haruno's voice slowly faded and she looked up at Kakashi in silence. Unnerved, she averted her gaze to look at Sai behind him and began to worry.

"I-Is everything alright, Kakashi-san?"

"Do you mind if we come in, Mrs. Haruno?"

* * *

Sakura lamented, for a moment, at the idea of scaling a cliff in the middle of what very well could have been a typhoon but banished the thought as soon as the wind picked up again. With renewed conviction, Sakura began climbing the slippery slope, focusing her thoughts on the fire waiting for her at the top.

Her cloak pulled on her neck, weighing her down and interrupting her already uneven breathing. She pulled at the cowl, hoping it would not bother her with that little adjustment. It was at that moment when her heart sank at the familiarity of the situation.

* * *

"Did you check Sakura's room?"

"No, Kakashi-san. As a mother, I've learned the hard way that, no matter the circumstance, entering my daughter's bedroom is not even an option. It's never worth it—Sakura always notices something when she gets back. Even if it's just me doing her laundry."

"Well, I suppose you should check to see if she has a load of laundry waiting for you."

* * *

Her cloak and never been so heavy before.

But, this time, the light wasn't moving; it was waiting for her.

* * *

"Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary—or, at least, nothing from what I can tell."

"Where does she normally put her work stuff?"

"At the foot of her bed—"

* * *

The last pull was the worst, but she made it. Sakura collapsed at the mouth of the cave, just beyond the warmth of the fire. She crawled, or rather dragged her body closer to the glowing flame until she could feel its heat flooding across her face. She closed her eyes, letting sleep win over her.

But the glow of the fire disappeared behind her eyes and her face cooled, as though a shadow, heavier than her cloak, was looming over her.

* * *

"Where…Where has Sakura gone, Kakashi-san?"

"We…We don't know, Mrs. Haruno."

"Wha—…"

"But, as of this moment, she is a missing nin."

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes and looked up to see the source of all her weighted memories.

"Sakura…"

Those memories came flooding at her, bombarding her brain with pain and happiness—thoughts of the past and possible future stinging her eyes.

"…you're early."

Sakura closed her eyes and dreamt of flowers.


End file.
